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On the morning of February 18, Randall Johnson was just a passenger—off duty and heading home with one goal: to get back in time to celebrate senior night for the student athletes he coaches. What Randall didn’t know was that before the plane landed, he’d be holding a 300-pound man to the ground with his bare hands.
Minutes after takeoff, a passenger began moving violently through the aisle, pounding on the cockpit door and terrifying everyone onboard. As flight attendants worked to intervene, the passenger dove over a woman in her seat and began choking another passenger, sending the cabin into chaos with people screaming and passengers scrambling.
Randall, seated among them, stayed focused. He assessed what was happening—a man standing over 6’4″ and weighing 300 pounds attacking passengers—and acted with purpose. Randall lunged over and grabbed one of the man’s hands while another passenger pinned his other arm down, the two of them holding him to the ground until more help could arrive. At one point Randall literally picked up a frightened passenger out of her seat and carried her to safety toward the back of the plane.
“When that man started attacking people, there was no time to think—only time to act. I just knew I had to protect the people around me and not let go until it was over,” Randall recalls.
Randall doesn’t see what happened as heroic. To him, it was simply about doing what was right. But that instinct didn’t come out of nowhere. It was built over years of hard choices and tough circumstances, long before boarding that flight.
A Life Built One Step at a Time
Before joining Unifi, Randall worked long shifts as a dishwasher and took whatever jobs he could find, doing honest work just to survive. During the height of the COVID19 pandemic, rising rent forced him and his mother out of their home. She moved into an extended stay hotel while Randall stayed with his sister. Mother and son were separated for the first time, the world they had known suddenly pulled out from under them. For a young man who had always shown up for her, it was as close to rock bottom as he had ever been. For nearly 10 months, Randall found time to visit her whenever he could.
“That period was difficult in ways that are hard to put into words,” Randall says. But instead of breaking him, it defined him. Randall learned to concentrate on what he could control: showing up, working hard and taking care of the people who depended on him. He never stopped believing in the future he was determined to build.
Randall’s turning point came when he spotted a flyer at a career fair for Unifi and signed on as a ramp agent in June 2021. In the early days, with his car’s transmission gone, Randall rode a bike to make his shifts—determined not to let anything get in his way. At first, his station manager Ron Calpo didn’t know the full weight of Randall’s challenges. Ron began noticing him spending long hours at the airport even when he wasn’t on shift. When he asked about it, the truth came out—Randall had nowhere else to go. Without hesitation, Ron made a point to get Randall as much work as possible. He cross-trained Randall on multiple airlines so that any time there was an opening in the schedule, Randall would get the call. He always answered.
For the first time in a long time, there was consistency with a steady paycheck, benefits and a place where his work ethic was seen and valued. It wasn’t just a job. It was a lifeline. Randall found his footing again, and his grit earned him something he had worked hard for—a promotion to supervisor.
He saved carefully, bought a car and reached a milestone that meant everything to him—moving his mother out of the extended stay hotel and into a townhouse they now share together, a family reunited. It wasn’t about status or achievement. It was about security, gratitude and keeping a promise to the woman who had never stopped believing in him.
“Working for Unifi changed my life,” Randall says simply.
Opportunity That Opened Doors
For Randall, his time at Unifi has also led to purpose. Driven by a desire to mentor young people, he took on a second role as an assistant women’s basketball coach at Virginia Union University.
Balancing two demanding jobs requires long hours and commitment, but Randall embraces the challenge. Because of his role at Unifi, employee flight perks allow him to travel for free to recruit and support his athletes—opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach. Whether he’s loading aircraft on the ramp or coaching on the court, Randall approaches both roles the same way: focused, humble and accountable.
Character Over Recognition
When news spread about what happened aboard Delta Flight 2557, Randall found himself at the center of attention he never sought. He was quick to downplay it—but anyone who has worked alongside him could have told you this was exactly who he is.
“We’re proud of Randall, a hardworking, thoughtful young man who didn’t hesitate to do the right thing,” says Frank A. Argenbright Jr., Executive Chairman of Unifi and owner of The Argenbright Group. “He represents the very best of who our employees are.”
That sentiment is echoed by the man who first gave Randall a chance. Ron Calpo, his former station manager, watched Randall bike to work, spend long hours at the airport and never once complain about it. He already knew exactly who Randall was long before that flight.
“We all hit bumps in life,” Ron says. “But Randall never complained. He faced his challenges and worked to fix them. When I heard what he did on that flight, I wasn’t surprised at all. That’s just who he is.”
